Harris urged unity in her closing argument. Biden's 'garbage' line undercut that

Vice President Harris found herself having to do clean-up on Wednesday — the day after a major address where she pledged to turn the page on an era of division in the country — because of a divisive remark made by President Biden.

Biden had made comments in a video call on Tuesday evening that sounded like he was calling supporters of former President Donald Trump "garbage."

Republicans took offense and drew a through line to Hillary Clinton's 2016 comment about the "basket of deplorables" supporting Trump.

"How do you like my garbage truck?" Trump asked reporters traveling with him in Green Bay, Wis., where a trash hauler had been emblazoned with his campaign logo for the occasion.

"This truck is in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden," he said.

Still wearing a reflective vest from the photo op at his subsequent rally, Trump said: "I have to begin by saying, 250 million Americans are not garbage." He was seemingly describing the number of his supporters, though he received 63 million votes in 2016, when he won, and 74 million in 2020, when he lost.

Earlier in the day, in Rocky Mount, N.C., Trump said Biden's "garbage" comments revealed "what he and Kamala really think of our supporters," adding, "My response to Joe and Kamala is very simple: you can't lead America if you don't love Americans."

Republicans drew a through line from "garbage" to "deplorables"

Conservatives have long complained that Democrats have used disparaging labels to describe their supporters.

"You know, Barack Obama said that we were bitter clingers. Hillary Clinton said we were deplorables ... And then Joe Biden says that we're garbage. Well, we have news for the Democrat elites. We're none of those things. We are Americans," Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said at Trump's Rocky Mount rally.

Biden's comment has given Trump an opening to move past the controversy unleashed by a disparaging and politically toxic joke about Puerto Rico made by a comedian during Sunday's Madison Square Garden rally.

That joke has roiled the presidential campaign in its waning days as Puerto Ricans are a significant presence in places like Pennsylvania, which both the Trump and Harris campaigns see as a must-win state.

Harris has been trying to appeal to moderate Republicans and independents

Harris — who has been trying to appeal to moderate Republican and independent voters in swing states — had to respond to questions about Biden as she departed for Wednesday stops in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, also had to address the issue during two major television appearances.

"Let me be clear: I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for," Harris told reporters.

In Raleigh, she added a new line to her stump speech, pleading with her supporters to "please be intentional about building coalitions" in the final days of the race.

What Biden said

In a video call Tuesday with Voto Latino, Biden was making comments about the comic at the Trump rally when he said something that sounded like he was calling Trump supporters “garbage.”

The White House quickly issued a transcript seeking to put Biden’s comment in a broader context, insisting that Biden had said "supporter's," to refer to the comedian's quote and not "supporters."

"And just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a 'floating island of garbage.' Well, let me tell you something. I don't -- I -- I don't know the Puerto Rican that -- that I know -- or a Puerto Rico, where I'm fr- -- in my home state of Delaware, they're good, decent, honorable people. The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter's -- his -- his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it's un-American."

Later, Biden attempted to clean up his remarks on x.com, saying that he was referring to the comedian’s joke at the rally.

Biden, who has a life-long history of gaffes, has kept a low profile since he dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris. Last week at a rare campaign event, he attracted attention when he said of Trump “we got to lock him up,” before quickly adding “politically.”

NPR's Stephen Fowler contributed to this story from Rocky Mount, N.C.